


The One Where Thor is Loki's Weakness

by JinxQuickfoot



Series: Weaknesses [7]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Comics), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Asgard, Bifrost, Big Brother Thor (Marvel), Dark Elves, Gungnir, Hostage Situations, Hurt Thor, Kid Loki and Kid Thor (Marvel), Kidnapped Thor, Kidnapping, Loki & Thor Friendship (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Feels, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Magic, Odin - Freeform, Pre-Avengers (2012), Pre-Thor (2011), Rescue, Svartalfheim, The Warriors Three - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:08:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23342227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JinxQuickfoot/pseuds/JinxQuickfoot
Summary: "Did you want to go and hide behind your mother’s skirts, Loki?"He was going to make them regret those words. Loki followed his brother further into Svartálfheim and was about to clamber up the same rock he had when he heard a cry of pain.Thor.----------------------------------------------------------------------------On a dare from the Warriors Three, Loki and Thor and end up in the clutches of three dark elves bent on revenge against Odin.
Relationships: Loki & Thor (Marvel)
Series: Weaknesses [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1672462
Comments: 16
Kudos: 189
Collections: Weaknesses





	The One Where Thor is Loki's Weakness

**Author's Note:**

> Day 7 of the "Weaknesses" writing challenge. 
> 
> Thor and Loki are the Asgardian-equivalent of about ten years old in this.
> 
> [Come say hi on Tumblr - I take requests!](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jinxquickfoot)

“Thor, we shouldn’t be out here.”

Loki felt for his brother’s hand as he took in the volcanic landscapes of Svartálfheim, the black, barren wastelands stretching out as far as he could see, with no hint of the bright green and golds that signalled the safety of home.

“Scared, brother?” Thor taunted him as he continued further into the forbidden realm.

“No,” Loki lied. “But I’m smarter than you. And as the smart one I know we shouldn’t be this far from the Bifröst.”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?” Thor looked around him in wonder, taking in the Dark Elves’ world. “You wish to return so soon?”

“Volstagg dared us to go to Svartálfheim. We’re here. The terms of the dare are complete.” Loki shivered, drawing his arms around himself. “I fail to understand the appeal. It’s just a bunch of rocks and - Thor!”

Loki hurried after his brother, struggling to keep up with the older boy. “Thor!” Loki repeated as his brother started scrambling up one of the volcanic mountains. “What are you playing at?”

“We can’t go home without a souvenir! They’ll never believe us!”

Thor bounded over one particularly large rock, vanishing behind it. Cursing, Loki looked around the volcanic wasteland, torn between not wanting to venture further from the Bifröst and not wanting to be alone in the open.

He hadn’t even wanted to come. Volstagg and his stupid dares. But the only thing worse than coming here would be his, Fandral, and Hogun's continual teasing about him being a coward. He had only accompanied Thor so that they would finally shut up.

Loki’s hands clenched into fists. He’d show them. He would not be afraid.

That statement was a lot more compelling when he had been in Asgard surrounded by friends. Now…

Loki shivered again, the cold seeping through his green robes. “Hurry up, Thor,” he muttered, keeping one eye on the Bifröst. He waited for his brother to return, probably with some oversized piece of rubble or rock to gloat about to the others. Loki rolled his eyes. It didn’t matter that he had travelled where his father had expressively forbidden him to ever set foot. It didn’t matter that he and Thor had stepped through the portal together. Thor would get the credit. Thor would get the praise, the glory. He could picture the others’ voices now.

_Loki was ready to turn tail and hide the moment we stepped through._

_Scared of a bunch of rocks, Loki?_

_Did you want to go and hide behind your mother’s skirts, Loki?_

He was going to make them regret those words. 

Loki followed his brother further into Svartálfheim and was about to clamber up the same rock he had when he heard a cry of pain.

_Thor._

Any hesitations Loki had vanished as he pulled himself over the rock, searching for his brother. What he saw made his blood turn cold.

Thor was twisting in the grip of a tall, pale creature with pointed ears, who was holding him high above the ground by his wrists. Two more of the things were looking on, grinning at their prize. Loki darted behind the rock he had just climbed over, trying to catch his breath as the all too familiar fear took root in his chest.

“An Asgard princeling!” the elf holding Thor said, its face an inch from the boy. “What luck has fate brought our way!”

“Let go of me!” Thor roared, trying in vain to free himself. Loki swallowed hard, unsure of what to do. He didn’t stand a hope of fighting them. He thought of running to the Bifröst and getting help. He cringed at the thought of Odin finding out what his sons had done. But surely that was better than the alternative?

Loki’s thoughts were interrupted at the dark elf’s next words. “Where’s the other one?”

_Turn into a snake,_ his panicked mind supplied. _Or something small. Or big, or…_

The fear was building. _Come on. Focus_. But all the magic Frigga had taught her son seemed to evade him as he watched his brother squirm in their mortal enemy’s grip.

“There is no other one!” Thor shouted. “It was just me! I came alone!”

“I saw two,” one of the other elves said. “Two came. Two are still here.”

The one holding Thor looked around him, and Loki ducked further behind the rock. _Think! Something Mother taught you must be useful. Maybe-_

But whatever plan started forming in Loki’s brain evaporated as he heard his brother cry out in pain, followed by a gleeful voice calling, “Come out, little princeling, or it’ll be the worse for your brother.”

There was a second yell of pain, more anguished than the first, which made Loki flinch. “It’s just me!” he heard Thor cry out, sounding desperate. “No one came with me, I - _argh!”_

“Alright!” Trying to mask the fear, Loki stepped out from behind the rock, hands in the air. His eyes immediately went to where the largest elf was holding Thor, one arm pinning Thors’ behind his back, the other holding a large blade to Thor’s throat.

“Brother, no!” Thor fought in vain to fight off his captor as Loki made his way towards the dark elves. He took a deep breath, steadying himself. He couldn’t fight them, no, but talking to them…

Talking his way out of things happened to something Loki was good at.

“Now would probably be a good time to remind you that you are currently threatening the son of Odin, King of Asgard,” Loki said, praying the words sounded confident. “And that if you were to follow through on that threat, Odin would rein hell upon you that you and your kind have never even tasted before.”

“We have tasted plenty of Odin’s wrath, princeling,” the one holding the knife hissed at him. “And taking what he values most would wash away some of the bitterness it left.”

Loki’s eyes locked with Thor’s. _What he values most._ That sounded about right. 

_Focus, Loki._ “Perhaps,” Loki agreed. “But will be worth the vengeance he rains down on you after?”

He felt some satisfaction at the unease that passed through the elves’ faces. The largest one drew Thor closer to him, tracing the line of the knife down the side of his face, drawing blood. “We do not fear Odin, princeling,” he hissed. “And we will shed his sons’ blood without hesitation.” The knife traced over Thor’s chin and began to cut across his throat.

“Stop!” Loki shouted, any trace of false confidence gone. He cast around desperately for something, _anything_ to stop the knife’s trajectory. “What if I could give you something better?”

The knife paused. “Brother, _don’t_ ,” Thor said again, but Loki ignored him, staring down the dark elf, who seemed to be weighing Loki’s words.

“And what would you be offering in return the son of Odin’s life?”

“Gungnir.” The word was out of his mouth before he had even fully considered it. “The weapon Odin used to defeat Malekith.”

The three elves hissed at the mention of their ruler’s defeat.

“You are just a boy,” one of them said.

“I am a Prince of Asgard!” Loki retorted. “Gungnir, for my brother’s life. Do you agree to this trade?”

“Loki, you can’t-” Thor started to protest, only to be cut off by the knife digging an extra quarter-inch into his throat.

“I can.” Loki looked at each of the elves in turn. “Are we in agreement?”

The elf holding his brother removed the knife, pushing Thor into the arms of the other two. Thor struggled but the others held him firm. “Return within the hour,” the dark elf snarled at Loki. “Bring Gungnir, and your brother lives. But fail, or bring any others with you upon your return, and we shall take our vengeance upon Odin’s firstborn.”

Loki swallowed, ignoring the lump in this throat. “Then I shall see you within the hour.”

***

The moment Loki returned to Asgard, he collapsed to his knees with his head in his hands. 

_Svartálfheim. Dark elves._ _The knife biting into Thor’s neck…_

Whatever the Warriors Three had done to distract Heimdall was apparently still in effect, as Loki was alone in the Bifröst.

What had he done? He had promised Gungnir, his father’s most prized weapon, to one of Asgard’s greatest enemies. Not only that, but he only had an hour to retrieve it, or…

_Or you would be Odin’s only son and the throne would be yours._

The thought brought Loki up short. How many times had he fantasied about being Odin’s favourite for once, of the throne of Asgard being his guaranteed future? And now… 

_Volstagg dared him to. I tried to stop him Father, but he insisted on going to Svartálfheim alone._

The image of Thor in the grip of the dark elf, desperately lying to protect Loki, swept the thoughts from Loki’s mind. He would get Gungnir. He would go back. And he would bring his brother home.

***

_Father needs to reconsider his security,_ Loki thought with some satisfaction as he entered the treasury unseen.

And there it was. Gungnir.

As Loki took the golden weapon between his hands, a plethora of power swept through him.

_Mine,_ that voice whispered in his ear. _This could be mine. No one would dare call me coward then. They would bow to-_

“Loki?”

“Mother!”

Loki tried to hide the giant spear behind his back, then winced at how guilty the action had looked.

“What are you doing?” Frigga came towards her youngest son, concern - not suspicion - on her features.

“Nothing,” Loki stammered. Damn it. Why could he lie smoothly to everyone else but when it came to his mother…

“You shouldn’t be in here alone,” Frigga chided him. “And you should not be touching your father’s things.”

“I know.” Loki hung his head. “It’s just…” For a moment, he considered telling his mother everything.

_But fail, or bring any others with you upon your return, and we shall take our vengeance upon Odin’s firstborn._

“We were playing truth or dare.”

It wasn’t technically a lie. Frigga sighed as she cupped Loki’s face in her gentle hands. “You shouldn’t listen to those boys so much. They’ll get you in trouble with your father.”

“I know, Mother. But…” He trailed off.

“You can tell me anything, Loki. You know that.”

“I know.”

“Is this more than a game of truth or dare?”

Loki squirmed under his mother’s gaze. “They…they called me a coward. They call me a coward a lot. It’s not fair. They never seem scared.” 

Frigga gave her son a sad smile. “Sometimes bravery is standing up to your ideals of courage; not what others say courage should be.” When Loki didn’t respond, she pressed, “Is that all that is the matter?”

Knowing it was pointless to lie, Loki cast about for a different truth to give his mother. “Earlier…I tried to use my magic, like you taught me. But I couldn’t.”

“Were you using it for the right reasons? Or to impress your friends?”

“The right reasons,” Loki said quickly, and Frigga nodded, believing him. “But then I got scared. I was a coward, just like they said. And I couldn’t…” He felt tears brewing and hastily wiped them away, feeling foolish.

“That is normal.” Frigga took Loki’s hands away from his face. “If you need to feel scared, feel scared. If the tears need to fall, let them fall. Sometimes we need to feel the emotion before we can dismiss it.”

“What does that have to do with magic?”

Frigga laid a hand over Loki’s chest. “Magic comes from in here, just like fear or anger or love. You need to recognise all of them before you can control any one of them. Does that make sense?”

“Yes.”

“You cannot lie to me.”

“I know, Mother. I’m sorry.”

“Was Thor one of the ones teasing you?” Loki nodded. “I will have stern words with him later, but do not forget he is a boy as well, even if he is older.”

Frigga squeezed Loki’s shoulder as she stood. “Being the youngest has its advantages, but it comes with many disadvantages as well.” She sighed, looking at the spear still clasped in Loki’s hands. “I suppose if Gungnir weren’t gone that long…”

Loki’s head jerked up in disbelief. Did she mean what he thought she meant? “Really?”

“I remember what it was like, being your age. You and your brother are still boys, and boys need room to make their own mistakes. Your father forgets this sometimes.”

Loki wiped away the last of the tears. “Thank you, Mother.”

“Have it back within the hour.” _Within the hour._ Right.

“I will, Mother.” _I’ll bring it back. And Thor as well._

_***_

Loki braced himself as he reentered Svartálfheim, Gungnir in hand. The dark elves were waiting for him.

Loki immediately looked for Thor. His brother was bound at the foot of the largest elf, his face a mess of black and blue - apparently the elves had had some fun while he was gone. Loki gritted his teeth, moving swiftly towards them, calling their attention from Thor to himself.

“Brother…” Thor’s blue eyes met Loki’s green ones, then widened when they saw Gungnir. “You should not have come back.”

“Fear not, brother,” Loki replied. “I have brought these creatures the trinket they desire. Now,” he made eye contact with the large elf. “Release my brother and let us end this.”

The large elf’s pale face smiled as he brought a metal boot down on Thor’s chest. “Give us Gungnir first,” the elf hissed, pressing down hard with the boot. Loki could see his brother wince at the pressure. “And perhaps we will let him live.”

“That was not our deal,” Loki replied, trying to maintain composure as the two smaller elves began to advance on him. _Breathe. Don’t be scared._

“I would suggest not coming much closer if you value your lives.” The elves paused, and Loki smirked at them, pointing back at the Bifröst. “Odin is on the other side,” Loki continued. “If both me and my brother do not return in due course, he will travel here and slay you himself.”

The large elf pushed down on Thor, and Loki winced as he heard the cracking of ribs. _Don’t be scared._

“Let him come,” the elf snarled. “He will see me slay his sons in front of him.” The other two elves were closing in on Loki. He took an involuntary step back, tripping over the edge of his cloak and tumbling to the ground. 

“Pathetic princeling,” the elf spat at Loki. “I can taste your fear. You are nothing but a boy playing with forces he does not understand.”

Loki looked at the terrifying elf leader, to the two closing in on him, to his brother, bound and bleeding on the ground.

_If you need to feel scared, feel scared. Sometimes we need to feel the emotion before we can dismiss it._

_I’m scared_ , Loki realised _. Really, really scared. And that’s ok._

When the elves went to grab Loki, their hands passed through thin air.

Loki vanished before reappearing behind one of the elves, launching the Gungnir straight through its heart. The second followed close behind. Loki felt magic coursing through his veins as he turned to face the last dark elf. 

“Stop, princeling, or he dies.”

The large elf was holding Thor close against his body, the tip of that dreaded knife pointed directly over Thor’s heart.

“Do not give up the fight, brother!” Thor called to him, struggling futilely against his bonds.

Loki allowed himself a moment to catch his breath before he let out a laugh. “Fine. Kill him. Let the first thing Odin see when he crosses the Bifröst be his dead son’s blood on your hands.”

Was he imagining it, or did a touch of fear play across the large elf’s face?

“Did you think he’ll kill you mercifully after that?” Loki continued, daring to take a step closer. The movement caused the elf to push the knife hard enough against Thor’s chest as to draw blood, but Loki kept his eyes firmly on that awful, pale face. “Because I don’t think he will. I think he’ll make it slow. As slow as he possibly can. Have you ever seen Odin angry? Because I have and, believe me, it is not a sight for the faint of heart.”

Another step closer. “So I suggest that you release my brother and let us cross to our own realm unscathed and perhaps there is the slightest chance that Odin will show you mercy.”

There was a long, drawn-out moment. Then the elf dropped the knife, shoving Thor to the ground before he turned tail and _ran._

Loki allowed himself a moment of satisfied triumph before he dropped to Thor’s side and started to cut the many ropes that bound him. “Loki,” Thor gasped as he tried to rub feeling back into his wrists. “You came back.”

“You didn’t think I’d leave you here, did you?”

Whatever Loki was expecting next, it was not Thor throwing his arms around him in a hug. “I hoped you wouldn’t. I hoped you would get somewhere safe, tell Father-”

Thor’s detangled himself from Loki to look at the Bifröst. “Is he-”

“No,” Loki replied. “No, it’s just me. I didn’t tell anyone else.”

“You came back alone?”

“He said he’d kill you if I didn’t - _enough brother!”_ Thor had grabbed Loki for a second hug.

“You were so brave! When you threatened them, you sounded just like Father!”

Despite everything, Loki smiled a little. “You think so?”

“He would be very proud.”

Loki’s smile turned sour. “It’s almost a shame he can never know about this. We never tell him. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

The brothers shook hands. Loki looked towards the Bifröst. “Now can we please return home before the elves find out that Odin is _not_ coming to bring his wrath down on Svartálfheim?”

***

Loki had never been so glad to see the golden interior of the Asgardian Bifröst. The moment he stood upon safe ground, whatever resolve he had found in himself crumbled, and his knees hit the ground with a dull _thud._

“Loki?”

Thor reached down to help his brother to his feet, but Loki smacked him away. “I’m fine. Just…the magic took a lot out of me. Give me a minute. I’ll catch up.”

He tried to ignore his brother’s presence as Thor knelt at his side. “I swear if you _hug_ me again-”

“How can I help?”

Loki thrust Gungnir at him. “Take this back to the treasury before they notice it’s missing.”

Thor took the weapon from him, barely glancing at it before he cast it aside. “You look pale. Even more so than usual.”

“Give me a moment to collect myself, and I will be fine.”

But the moment Loki felt his brother’s comforting hand on his shoulder, the tears came, and then he was sobbing against Thor’s chest as his brother held him.

_If the tears need to fall, let them fall._

Thor didn’t let go even when the tears finally stopped. Loki hastily mopped his eyes. “Stupid,” he muttered.

Thor was quiet for a long time. Finally, he said, “I was scared too.”

Loki looked at his brother in disbelief. “ _You?_ ”

“When the big one had the knife…” Thor winced as he scraped the dried blood off his neck and chest. “The wars of the elves are always told as grand adventures. We always played at slaying their kind but up close…they were too much for me. I did not even pose a challenge to them.”

“I didn’t think you ever got scared.”

“I was scared today. But I will not be so much in future.”

“Mother says it’s ok to be scared, sometimes,” Loki said softly.

“I agree,” Thor said. “What I meant is that I will be less scared, knowing that my brother will always have my back.”

“Because I’m brave?”

“Because you’re brave.”

“Maybe…” Loki looked down as his hands, then winced when he saw they were still covered in the blood of the dark elves. “Maybe then you can stop teasing me so much about being a coward? Especially in front of Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg?”

“We are only making fun! We do not mean it. We all tease each other.” When Loki didn’t look up from the floor, Thor added, “But if it bothers you so…we will stop. Especially now we have proof it is not true. I cannot wait to tell them how Loki of Asgard used Gungnir to slay-” Thor broke off, and Loki’s head whipped up to see what stopped him.

Heimdall stood in the doorway, peering down at them both. Both boys got hastily to their feet, looking at the Guardian of the Bifröst with trepidation. 

“Did you really think a plan Volstagg cooked up could distract _me_?”

Loki and Thor looked at Heimdall aghast. “You knew?” Loki gasped. “The whole time?”

“Of course. I see all.”

“Why did you not help?” Loki said at the same time Thor said, “Did you tell Father?”

Heimdall smiled at them both. “There are some events that leave us richer for having occurred.” He nodded to Gongnir. “Now, I suggest you return that to its rightful place before Odin notices it is missing.”

Both boys nodded and shuffled out past Heimdall, then ran up the rainbow bridge to the palace - together.

**Author's Note:**

> So hey, I have this film and screenwriting podcast? It's called "Kill the Cat" and once a month my co-host and I and break down one of our favourite movies or tv shows and look at why they work, including Harry Potter, The Princess Bride, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and, of course, the MCU.
> 
> You can check it out on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ypaen3yM5Q&t=1s&ab_channel=KilltheCatPodcast), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/5hCprc9UCBZP4srFrBXKT1?si=ZOqdhMlVQvqV2fG5PxuvOA), or anywhere you listen to podcasts. 
> 
> And hey. You're doing great.


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